Floating High
by moonswirl
Summary: Gleekathon, day two hundred and two: Emma reflects on what led her from her high school days to being McKinley's guidance counsellor.


_Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a second cycle, and then a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eigth cycle, and ninth cycle._

_Now comes the tenth cycle. And since that feels like it should be special, this is what I'm doing: Cycle 10 will feature my top 15 of some favorite things from Glee. Characters, ships, friends... It will be daily ficlets for numbers 15 down to 2, but number 1 will be a 7-chapter story :) Here we go!_  
_**Coming in at number three!**_

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**"Floating High"  
Emma**

It didn't seem so glamorous to most people… a guidance counsellor, in a high school… She wasn't after glamour anyway, so what did it matter? They couldn't know what she knew, what she experienced. She'd known from even before she'd started that this was where she belonged. She had a lengthy history with the position.

School hadn't been the easiest place to be for someone like her. There were messes left and right. It was enough to send her into a fit at the mere thought of being there. It could all have been a disaster, but then she'd met Miss Sung.

She was so very tall, so very elegant, and she would walk the halls, always with a smile on her face. Evidently, a few of Emma's teachers had informed her how long she'd take when she went to the bathroom, because one day as she was finally out of the stall and off to the sink to wash her hands… there was Miss Sung.

"Good morning, Emma, yes?" The girl gave a nod as she started the water.

She'd taken the time to polish off the handle before, so that she could turn it with her elbow. She'd also seen to the soap dispenser. She got a couple squirts and she started with her hands. Miss Sung didn't say a thing at first. She just watched her. After a while, Emma was becoming highly aware of her presence, which could only make her nervous and awkward.

"Are you done?" Miss Sung asked as she watched Emma tear off the piece of paper she'd already unfurled to dry her hands.

"Almost," Emma dried between her fingers. Miss Sung opened the door.

"Why don't we have a chat?"

They stepped into the office, where Emma had given the seat a quick inspection before taking her place in it. Miss Sung had closed the door, and now Emma worried she might be in trouble.

"Emma, a number of your teachers have expressed concerns… well, all of them… They've noticed you take a…" The woman paused, changing tactic. "You know, I understand this place might be problematic for you." Emma looked down to her hands. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, but you probably don't like to talk about it." Emma shook her head. "Yeah," Miss Sung nodded to herself. "I'm here to help, you know that? We can work this out," she told her. Emma looked up at her, interested.

Throughout high school, Emma had her one ally in Miss Sung. She made it for her to be able to go about life as normally as possible… and in her dealings with the woman, she had come to see her at work, saw what she did. She didn't remember when it was that it came to her, but even before she finished high school, she knew what she wanted to do, what she wanted to be.

She wanted to be that person for someone. She wanted to be there for those kids that may not have anyone else looking out for them otherwise. She could not be a teacher, but she didn't want that anyway. She wanted to be a guidance counsellor, like Miss Sung.

She had worked to that goal over the next few years, and she'd worked at one school before it became unbearable for her to remain there and she'd quit. She was a great believer in things happening for a reason, so she had taken this in stride.

She had searched in her area but found nothing. Further and further her search stretched, until she got to Lima. She found an open post at McKinley and she thought it was perfect… she could feel it all; this was where she belonged. She'd gotten the job, and she'd made the move.

It would be about two years before she saw her place in the whole big scheme of things. Glee Club took up strength, under its new leadership, but at the same time it showed the need for someone, involved but on the outside still. So much was happening now, and she was going to stand by them.

She still had her own issues, of course. But the years, as well as Miss Sung, had shown her it didn't have to control her life completely. There were still problem areas, this she knew. Romance was her brick wall, and she crashed against it, always against and never through.

But she had determination, coming in little bursts of courage. Her insides would feel unhinged, her voice would tremble, but it didn't change her intent. Miss Sung had given her that, and she liked to think that she was giving it back. She had found her place, and she knew there were those at McKinley who were still trying to find theirs. And she would help them find it, oh yes she would.

THE END


End file.
